Taking a look at a Jets offensive lineman
Earlier this week, the Jets signed offensive lineman Zack Bailey to a futures deal. Bailey had been on the Jets’ practice squad at the end of the season and saw action in the season finale. Today, we look at Bailey in detail.
The 29-year old Bailey is listed at 6’5” and 299 pounds. He was undrafted out of South Carolina in 2019. The Jets are his seventh NFL team and, prior to joining them, he had only played in one NFL game.
Background
Bailey was a four star high school recruit who opted to stay in the local area by enrolling at South Carolina in 2015.
As a true freshman, he made an immediate impact as he started three games at center and two at left guard. Then, from 2016 onwards, he was a full-time starter, starting all 13 games at left guard in that year.
In 2017, he moved to right tackle and was voted as a third-team all-SEC selection despite missing four games due to injury in the middle of the season.
2018 saw him move back to left guard and start 12 games. He earned all-SEC second team honors although he was injured again at the end of the season, disrupting his pre-draft plans. He was unable to play in the East-West Shrine game but was able to work out at the scouting combine.
Having gone undrafted, Bailey was picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and made their opening day roster. However, before making his first appearance, he suffered a season-ending injury in practice and landed on injured reserve.
In 2020, he was released in final cuts by the Buccaneers and spent time on their practice squad before ending up on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad and signing a futures deal at the end of the season. 2021 was similar, as the Vikings released him in final cuts and he saw time on the practice squads for the Vikings, the Indianapolis Colts and the Washington Commanders.
2022 saw Bailey released in May by the Commanders having signed a futures deal with them. He ended up in camp with the Los Angeles Chargers and, although he only made their practice squad, he made his NFL debut as a midseason elevation, albeit he only saw action on special teams.
After signing a futures deal for the 2023 season, he again went to camp with the Chargers and started off on the practice squad, but he did spend half the year on the active roster before going onto injured reserve. He was a healthy scratch all year, though.
In 2024, Bailey went to camp with the Atlanta Falcons but was released in final cuts. The New York Jets added him to the practice squad in the middle of the season and when he was elevated for the last game and got on the field at right tackle for the Jets’ game clinching drive, these were the first offensive snaps of his career.
Let’s move onto some more in-depth analysis of what Bailey brings to the table, based on extensive research and film study.
Measurables/Athleticism
Bailey did the jumps and bench press at the combine and ran the 40-yard dash and agility drills at his pro day, posting average marks across the board, including a 5.21 in the 40 and 24 bench press reps.
He has below average length but a strong frame. He also moves well and displays good functional strength on film.
Usage
Bailey has excellent versatility, having seen extensive action at all five offensive line positions during his career. He started games at center, left guard and right tackle in college and has seen preseason action at every position apart from center.
With the Jets, his first ever NFL regular season action came at the right tackle position, although it has been assumed that he would be more comfortable inside due to his lack of length.
Pass Blocking
Bailey was solid in pass protection throughout his college career, allowing a low pressure and sack rate. He did get beaten for seven sacks, but never more than three in any one season.
In preseason action, he’s given up three sacks in 15 games and, again, a low pressure rate, but he did get beaten from time to time.
He battles well in pass protection, moving his feet and fighting to retain leverage and can anchor with solid upper body strength and a wide base against a bull rush.
Run Blocking
Bailey has had some good success as a run blocker and put some good things on film over the course of his career. He displays impressive strength at the point of attack and an ability to drive his man off the line.
While at times he can lunge into his blocks and fall off them, or whiff on his man altogether, Bailey moves well and is capable of making good blocks in space.
Here’s a play showing his explosiveness as he gets across the face of his man and then immediately cuts him to the ground.
In his first NFL regular season action, Bailey had one good run block, where he combined well with the right guard and stayed on his man well to set up a nice run.
Short Yardage
Teams seemed to have mixed results when running behind Bailey in short yardage situations. While he displays power at the point of attack as noted, he will at times fire off the line and fail to make clean contact with the defender opposite him.
Screen Blocking
Bailey’s ability to move and some of his second level blocks would suggest that he could be effective at getting out in front of a screen. However, he’s been inconsistent in finding his block in space or timing his release in these situations.
Footwork/Technique
When Bailey first came into the league, one of his main technical weaknesses was his inconsistent hand placement, but that’s an area he’s been working to improve.
He can, at times, be thrown off balance by a quick change of direction or, in this case, a bull-jerk move (although on this occasion the quarterback got the throw out before pressure arrived).
On this combo block, he gets a good drive going and although he’s unable to disengage and pick up the second level block, he doesn’t need to because he drives the lineman back into the linebackers’ laps and leans into the nearest linebacker’s path to cut off his route to the ball.
Penalties
Penalties have not been a major issue for Bailey in his career. He had just seven in four years in college.
In preseason action, he has been flagged for a false start, twice for offensive holding and once for ineligible man downfield. One of those holding penalties negated a 45-yard pass play.
With the Jets last Sunday he was also called for ineligible man downfield and arguably got away with a hold when he lost leverage on a Zach Sieler pass rush and appeared to grab his arm.
Special Teams
Bailey has seen plenty of reps as a blocker on the placekicking unit in college and at the NFL level without any negative plays or penalties, but otherwise hasn’t had a role on special teams.
Instincts/Intelligence
Bailey has demonstrated an ability to play multiple positions and had to learn various different systems in his career so far. He does seem to have a good knack of peeling off a block to pick up a new assignment or adjusting his block on the fly.
However, there have also been occasions where he has been confused when trying to pick up or pass up stunts, or anticipating and picking up a late rush or stunting lineman.
He was a member of the SEC academic honor roll while in college.
Attitude
Bailey has said that he loves the game and always wants to get better. He was a captain at South Carolina and displays hard-nosed toughness and good on-field discipline.
Injuries
In college, Bailey missed four games due to an ankle injury in the middle of his junior year then suffered a broken fibula and ankle ligament damage in a late-season injury as a senior. Despite this, he was able to perform at the scouting combine about three months later.
At the NFL level, he had a foot ankle injury in practice that ended his 2019 season in October and went onto injured reserve with a back injury at the end of the 2023 season.
Scheme Fit
Having played so many roles on so many different teams, you would expect Bailey to be adaptable to pretty much any system. It’s interesting that the Jets gave him some playing time at tackle rather than guard, but the fact he can do either is probably one of the main reasons they added him into the mix.
Over the course of his career, he has been a teammate of several current Jets or pending Jets free agents: Tyler Conklin, Malik Taylor, Kene Nwangwu, Wes Schweitzer, Phidarian Mathis, Jamin Davis, Chazz Surratt and Greg Joseph.
Conclusions
Bailey has already impressed the Jets enough to earn a futures contract, but it was particularly interesting that he was elevated and saw action in the final game. Carter Warren didn’t appear to be injured so it’s possible that was a reward for someone whose hard work they appreciated since he joined the fold.
While he doesn’t have much upside and likely isn’t ever going to be a starter at the NFL level, Bailey has some nice film in places. A hard working, versatile guy is always going to be considered as someone you might keep around as emergency cover on the practice squad or something.